Meta has decided to pull the plug on Workplace, its business communications platform designed to compete with Slack, which never took off.
Once conceived as a major player in business communication and productivity, other services took advantage of the pandemic to rise to the top, leaving Workplace struggling to catch up.
Facebook's parent company has confirmed that the online communication and collaboration app will be phased out over the next two years, giving customers until May 2026 to find another suitable solution.
Workplace users have two years to find an alternative
Initially launched as Facebook @ Work before being renamed Workplace, the platform was designed to make communication easier.
However, despite attracting some pretty big customers, including Spotify, Starbucks and Walmart, the platform faced growing challenges from more established rivals like Teams.
TechCrunchGoogle's report on the closure cites an anonymous source, detailing Meta's future plans and the reason for Workplace's closure:
“We are discontinuing Meta's Workplace so we can focus on developing AI and metaverse technologies that we believe will fundamentally reshape the way we work.”
As part of the closing, Meta has designated a single preferred partner: Workvivo, a similar product sold by Zoom. Meta is committed to helping customers migrate to Workvivo.
Customers have until August 31, 2025 to continue using the app, by which time they must have found another alternative. Between September 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026, Workplace will only support reading and downloading existing information to facilitate migrations. During this time, subscription charges will be waived.
Workplace's basic plan costs $4 per user per month, with a small handful of add-ons available for an additional $2 per user per month. Workvivo, which has attracted clients including Amazon, RyanAir and Virgin, does not reveal prices.
